The first draft of your novel and the final draft will probably look nothing alike. You will go through several drafts. You will change a lot of elements. The story you finish with may be entirely different from the story you originally set out to tell. And those are all good things. The first race…
Tag: writing advice
Finding Courage
“I’d love to do that, but I’m too nervous.” “I just don’t think I’m good enough.” “Maybe one day.” I think we’re all guilty of this bad habit sooner or later: we see people doing something we want to do, and we assume they’re braver, tougher, more competent than we are, and thus that ‘something’…
My Writing Journey
With the launch of my debut novel fast approaching, I can’t help reflecting on my writing journey. I started writing when I was nine years old. I very distinctly remember the dark blue notebook I chose to write my “book” in. The story was set on an island in a mystical sea, and about ten…
For the Snowy Days: Writing Without Motivation
Middle Tennessee was essentially attacked by an incredibly rude snow/ice storm that had us homebound for a few days. I’ve written about the cold days and the hot days but persevering through the snowy days was another beast. It was so wet and cold that I just felt stuck. No motivation. No inspiration. Just a…
Stop Obsessing Over the Data
I’m a data girl. I love to have all the facts and figures. As a long-distance runner, I’m in consistent training, and I’m constantly comparing all the running stats from this run, that run, and the next one. Resting heart rate is higher than normal? Time to scour my entire life for the culprit. Running…
Breaking Your Writing Routine
I’m currently training for a 5k race. It will be only my second official race at this distance, although I’ve obviously covered this distance many times, and it will also be my most ambitious attempt: I want to do it in 19:59 or less. And while I’m not really sure yet whether or not this…
Embrace Your Reality: Making a Writing Schedule
Our summer days are getting shorter, but they’re still hot and busy, and during the week, I wake up at five AM. I have to run my miles, ride my horse, and sometimes get some writing done before I have to be at work, and often a five AM wakeup call is the only way…
Self-Talk for a Confidence Boost: Writing Without Motivation
One of my weight-lifting instructors routinely discusses the importance of self-talk. How do you talk to yourself when you’re having a tough time? How do you motivate yourself when you’re lacking drive? Do you beat yourself down for mistakes? Are you (like so many of us are!) your own harshest critic? I mentioned in my…
For the Hot Days: Writing Without Motivation
Late August in Tennessee. We’re in the pinnacle of summer. The humidity percentage is in the nineties. The temperature is in the nineties. The real feel is in the hundreds. Not only does it make outdoor activities and tasks absolutely hellish, but it kind of sucks all of your motivation for indoor tasks, too. But…
The Power of ‘I Don’t Know’ and Why You Should Try it Anyway
Think of all the new things you’ve tried in your life. Never mind when you were a kid, and everything was new. Think of all the new things you tried as a teenager or young adult. I started working with horses when I was seventeen. Holy cow was everything hard. I’d been obsessed with and…